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<td class="pageTitle" nowrap="true">Concept: Inception Phase</td><td width="100%">
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<td valign="top">As the first of the four phases in the project lifecycle, Inception is about understanding the project scope and objectives and getting enough information to confirm that the project should proceed - or to convince you that it should not.</td>
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<div class="sectionHeading">Relationships</div>
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<th class="sectionTableHeading" scope="row">Related Elements</th><td class="sectionTableCell">
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<li>
<a href="./../../../practice.mgmt.risk_value_lifecycle.base/guidances/concepts/phase_milestones_5678231E.html" guid="_HNxbwMBJEdqSgKaj2SZBmg">Phase Milestones</a>
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<a href="./../../../practice.mgmt.risk_value_lifecycle.base/guidances/concepts/project_lifecycle_203F87.html" guid="_nSfVwCNYEdyCq8v2ZO4QcA">Project Lifecycle</a>
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<div class="sectionHeading">Main Description</div>
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    The purpose in this phase is to achieve concurrence among all stakeholders on the lifecycle objectives for the project.
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<p>
    There are four objectives of the Inception phase that clarify the scope, project objectives, and feasibility of the
    intended solution <a class="elementlinkwithusertext" href="./../../../core.default.nav_view.base/guidances/supportingmaterials/references_C6FF2A8D.html#KRO03" guid="__nHToFndEd2EdJKkAyeBng">[KRO03]</a>:
</p>
<ol>
    <li>
        
    <p> <strong>Understand what to build.</strong> Determine an overall vision, 
      including the scope of the system and its boundaries. Identify the stakeholders: 
      who is interested in this system and what are their success criteria?</p>
    </li>
    <li>
        <p>
            <strong>Identify key system functionality.</strong> Decide which requirements are most critical.
        </p>
    </li>
    <li>
        
    <p> <strong>Determine at least one possible solution.</strong> Assess whether 
      the vision is technically feasible.&nbsp;This may involve identifying a 
      candidate high-level architecture or doing technical prototypes, or both.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
        <p>
            <strong>Understand</strong> the high-level estimate for cost, schedule, and risks associated with the project.
        </p>
    </li>
</ol>
<h4>
    Key considerations
</h4>
<p> Projects may have one or more iterations in the Inception phase. These are 
  among the reasons for multiple iterations: </p>
<ul>
    
  <li> Project is large, and it is hard to define its scope</li>
    
  <li> Unprecedented system</li>
    
  <li> Too many stakeholders with competing needs and complex relationships</li>
    
  <li> Major technical risks demand the creation of a prototype or proof of concept</li>
</ul>
<p> There are some commonly observed&nbsp;counterproductive patterns during the 
  Inception phase. Some teams postpone providing estimates until they analyze 
  the entire domain and have written a large amount of requirements documentation. 
  This behavior often leads to &quot;analysis paralysis.&quot; Another pattern 
  is poor planning of Inception iterations. Avoid such patterns by planning iterations 
  during Inception in a way that iterations are risk-driven, include early integration 
  and testing, and produce a product increment that you can demonstrate to stakeholders. 
  By default, have one (potentially short) iteration in Inception to avoid analysis 
  paralysis. </p></td>
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<div class="sectionHeading">More Information</div>
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<th class="sectionTableHeading" scope="row">Concepts</th><td class="sectionTableCell">
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<li>
<a href="./../../../publish.openup.base/guidances/concepts/core_principle_balance_793DD27.html" guid="_ssG6MMvpEdqukPpotm3DYg">Balance competing priorities to maximize stakeholder value</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="./../../../publish.openup.base/guidances/concepts/core_principle_collaborate_EC5EB51F.html" guid="_KkTIsMp7EdqC_NfSivunjA">Collaborate to align interests and share understanding</a>
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<a href="./../../../core.mgmt.common.extend_supp/guidances/concepts/iteration_C20B1904.html" guid="_lam4ADkBEduxovfWMDsntw">Iteration</a>
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<li>
<a href="./../../../practice.mgmt.risk_value_lifecycle.base/guidances/concepts/project_lifecycle_203F87.html" guid="_nSfVwCNYEdyCq8v2ZO4QcA">Project Lifecycle</a>
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<td class="copyright"><p> This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the<br />
  <a href="http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/epl-v10.php" target="_blank">Eclipse 
  Public License V1.0</a>, which accompanies this distribution. </p><p/><p> <a class="elementLink" href="./../../../core.default.release_copyright.base/guidances/supportingmaterials/openup_copyright_C3031062.html" guid="_UaGfECcTEduSX6N2jUafGA">OpenUP Copyright</a></p></td>
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